


In Too Deep

by ami_ven



Category: X-Men (Movies), X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Community: writerverse, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-17
Updated: 2015-03-17
Packaged: 2018-03-18 06:44:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3560021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ami_ven/pseuds/ami_ven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It had started with a boat, and it very nearly ended with one, as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Too Deep

**Author's Note:**

> written for LJ community "writerverse" prompt [photo #12](http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd431/LadyTanha/writerverse/water_zpsf1ea9820.jpg)

It had started with a boat, and it very nearly ended with one, as well.

Erik had gotten word of an unscrupulous scientist who was supposedly performing experiments on mutants, using an old cargo ship to avoid detection in international waters. Presumably, Charles and his so-called ‘X-Men’ had heard the same rumors, because they had arrived at nearly the same time, completely foiling Erik’s plan of stealth and destruction with a no doubt reckless rescue mission.

Erik left them to it, ignoring the sounds of their fight with the scientists’ security forces— the guards appeared utterly incompetent, but had the advantage of numbers. Instead, Erik focused on the electronic equipment deep in the center of the ship, twisting and melting each piece systematically until not even the smallest scrap of data could be salvaged.

An explosion rocked the vessel, causing Erik’s small metal-hulled skiff to rock, and he looked up.

It wasn’t just the X-Men who had come— Charles was here, too, his wheelchair backed against the ship’s rail as he held his fingers to his temple.

There was another explosion from somewhere inside the ship and the whole vessel listed suddenly sideways. Erik’s much smaller boat was pushed out several yards by the accompanying wave, but he didn’t take his eyes off the larger ship.

Charles’s wheelchair had slid farther along the deck, to the break in the rail used for boarding, and as the ship continued listing, one wheel slipped over the edge. Erik reached out, scrambling to find the chair’s few metal screws and bolts that Hank hadn’t managed to replace. The chair stopped at the edge of the deck, Charles’s knuckles white on the armrests, when a third explosion hit and Charles tumbled backward into empty air.

There had barely been enough metal to hold the chair— Charles himself wore even less, and Erik watched helplessly as the telepath hit the water, hard.

Erik didn’t even think to wonder if any of Charles’s X-Men had seen him fall. He yanked off the helmet, then his cape and boots, and dove into the water. Charles was still sinking when Erik reached him, arms as motionless as his legs, so that Erik felt a stab of panic before he slid his own arms around Charles’s chest and felt his heart beating.

_My friend_ , said his voice in Erik’s mind, carrying a wash of relief and gratitude and affection.

_Have you no sense of self-preservation, Charles?_ Erik replied. He swam upward and they broke the surface, gasping for air. “What are you doing here?”

“I could— ask you— the same thing,” Charles panted.

“You haven’t just taken the answer from my mind?” asked Erik, more bitterly than he intended.

“Oh, my friend,” said Charles. “Erik, I promised not to enter your mind without permission and I will keep that promise. Please believe me.”

Erik did. Despite every instinct that told him never to trust anyone ever again, he did trust Charles.

“Very well,” he growled, and raised a hand to draw his boat to them.

Charles made no protest as Erik slid an arm under his knees and used his powers to lift them both out of the water. By the time he had propped Charles up against the stern, carefully arranged in the bottom of the boat, the telepath was shivering, so Erik retrieved his cape and tucked it around him.

“Well, well, I stand corrected,” said Charles. “Your ridiculous cloak _is_ good for something.”

“You’re hardly in a position to give me fashion advice,” said Erik, “considering that you turned up to a battle wearing a cardigan.”

“Getting dressed takes rather longer than it used to, and there wasn’t time,” said Charles, peeling himself out of the sopping sweater. “Would you mind terribly helping with my shoes?”

Erik scowled, but tugged off Charles’s loafers. “You should call your X-Men to retrieve you, before you catch hypothermia.”

“Hypothermia isn’t something you catch,” Charles corrected. “And they’ve gone.”

“ _Gone?_ ” repeated Erik. “Without trying to rescue you?”

“I assured them that you had everything well in hand.” Charles paused, fingers worrying the hem of Erik’s cape. “I’m afraid I rather panicked when I tipped out of my chair. In so many ways, I have come to terms with my limitations, but I felt so… helpless, as I was falling.” He paused again, then continued, softly, “I also thought I felt the touch of your powers, just before I hit the water.”

“You aren’t wearing enough metal,” said Erik, without exactly meaning to. “I couldn’t catch you.”

“Perhaps I should remedy that, for next time.”

“There had better not be a next time!” Erik snapped. “I won’t always be here to save you, Charles.”

He began to turn away, more angry with himself than with Charles, but froze at the gentle hand on his face. 

“I’m sorry, my friend,” said Charles, out loud, and Erik could feel no trace of him in his mind. “But you were projecting that thought rather loudly.”

Erik brought up a hand, intending to push Charles’s from his face, but stopped as his fingers closed around a slender wrist. “Then perhaps you should stay away from me, Charles. I seem to cause you nothing but pain.”

“Only because you have decided that you don’t deserve joy,” said Charles. “Tell me, my friend, have you taken true delight in anything recently?”

Erik closed his eyes. “Delight is a distraction I cannot afford.”

“Oh, Erik,” said Charles. “I—”

The wind shifted, and the telepath shivered violently. “Charles? Charles, are you all right?”

“Only c-cold,” the other man replied, moving his hand to pull the cloak tighter around himself. “I assume y-you can c-control this v-vessel with your p-powers?”

“Yes,” said Erik, even as he set them into motion, the small boat cutting smoothly through the water. “I have a safe house nearby. I can lend you some dry clothes, and make arrangements for you to get home.”

“Actually,” said Charles. “We were both underwater for longer than is generally recommended. We should probably both be observed for a day or so, to make certain we will suffer no ill effects from our dunking.”

“A day or so,” Erik repeated, with an almost-smile. “I think that can be arranged.”

THE END


End file.
